Baneful Melody
by Karalicious
Summary: The last nymph controlls the life song - it is needed to awaken THE ONE; but the heart strays in its own direction, for love overcomes all obstacles
1. The Swan

Hey everybody!!!!

I am back with a new, exciting, though not exactly cute story. It's been a while, and before I begin, I just wanted to brush up on a few basic facts that might seem confusing to you at first.

Please don't kill me for treating Imrahil the way I do (he's still a sweetheart)

PS: isn't it funny how EVERYBODY remembers him from the books…

despite the fact that Lego comes in kinda late – yes this IS a Lego fanfic.

Lutilivien - the main character – is NOT Mary Sue typish. You will definitely see that as the story develops

if you are not comfortable, with, well, mature content, you have been forewarned, this story, though, will never be on NC-17 level due to the banishment of that section, the decision, by the way, that I'll never support

Tolkien owns Imrahil, Legolas, and DolAmroth, the rest is all MINE

for all you Fushigi Yuugi fans out there – guess who the boy with no name is ^_^ (from chapter 2)

The way I worked out aging is kinda complicated so listen up:

Elves: 10 yrs is like 1yr until they're 230 (human 23), then they stop aging physically. 

Psychologically speaking, they're mature from 170 on.

Half-elves: generally age 2 times slower than humans, and posses superior physical attributes (if 70, that translates into 35, and so on)

Italics – thoughts

~…~ Sindarin

&…&Quenya

^ …^Black Speech

I added one or two species, but about that – later in the story

Enjoy the story, don't yell at me for the characters' numerous sleepless nights, write lots of great reviews and tata! ^_^

******************************

Chpt 1 – the swan

   "Open the gates!"

Lutilivien ran swiftly to the window of her chamber faced towards the entrance to Dol Amroth. 

She peered out into the darkness trying to distinguish a horse and his rider in the distance. There they were. A mahogany stallion rushed out of the darkness towards the gates. He carried a tall, light-haired rider with whom Lutilivien had shared her life with over the past twenty years.

At first she saw his silver-white attire, then distinguished black hair flowing in the wind. A few yards closer, and the emblem with a swan and a ship became clear to her part-Elven eyes. Finally, that face of a mature, but a still young man appeared before her eyes.

Prince Imrahil was back home yet again.

Suddenly, an alien feeling struck her like lightning. She was not happy to see him; not like she thought she had been before. She did not want to feel his strong arms around her; she did not want to be kissed.

_You are being very strange, my dear;_ she said to herself; _such nonsense. I think that I am simply fatigued._

She shook off the feeling of coldness and looked at herself in the mirror that hanged on the wall of the bedroom. There she was, straight like a birch tree, and as one, slender and graceful. Her dark violet, simple gown was one of Imrahil's favorites, but she looked beyond it. Her raven hair was fastened in an elaborate manner on the back of head, and her olive skin gave off an opalescent glow in the flickering lights of the candles.

She was not considered of pure breed, although pure enough to receive the gift of immortality and a noble status as a bride to be.

 _Almost twenty years  ago, how distant it is now…_

The blood of the dark Haradrims flowed in her veins, causing her to be more of a human by nature. 

She allowed her hair to fall freely to the ground by removing just a single pin. It rolled down like a wave almost crashing against the shore of the wooden floor, reflecting all light around. Many believed her hair to be the most astonishing in the kingdom and that was not without reason; it was truly beautiful, long, soft, and thick.

_No._ she thought to herself and the unpleasant feeling returned. She could hear Imrahil's clear voice in the courtyard, and she quickly pulled her hair up again, reducing its marvel.

The door swung open revealing the glowing face of the Prince of Dol Amroth. To her astonishment, he ran up to her and picked her up.

   "Blessed be the day when I met you, my love! Nothing lightens my heart so, as coming home and seeing your face." he kissed her on the forehead and set her down on the floor again.

   "Glad to see you as always, my lord." Lutilivien curtsied and responded feebly.

   "What is troubling your mind, my dear wife?"

"I suppose the day had been unkind and I feel slightly weary."

_A lie_, she thought, _the Haradrim part of me_.

She forced a kind smile.

"There is a meal down in the kitchen, I cannot join you however, there are things that I must still see to today."

He gave her a loving smile and the only two wrinkles on his face revealed themselves.

_The only wrinkles are those of laughter upon your face_, she pondered, _what hath made thy life so full of joy..._

She broke free of the unwanted thoughts yet once again and sat down pretending that she was writing until Imrahil left the chamber.

The feeling did not leave her; it kept on intruding her thoughts, poisoning her mind with senseless contemplation. It did not leave her when she took her evening bath, nor when she talked to Imrahil, nor when he kissed delicately her neck, not even when they lay down in their ample bed...


	2. Leather and Flame

Hello again! Sorry it took me sooo long to update, I was having some major problems with finding time for this. Well, here you meet my favorite original character (^_^), I tried to picture his physique best I could, more is coming up anyway ^_^.

Oh just to UNconfuse some of you:

*** - means change of point of view.

~*~  -means flashback

~~~ - maybe I will use this one – dream excerpt

Fortunately, I'm already half way through Chapter 3, so I hope that won't take me longer then a week to post up.

Ja ne and enjoy and (psst. – REVIEW) ^_~

&***&

Chpt 2– leather and flame

She woke up with a gasp. She did not remember her dream and she did not seek to recall it. She looked at a small patch of the star covered sky peering through the window, then, she glanced at Imrahil. 

He was lying on his stomach, sleeping, the thin blanket that had molded itself around his still figure slid down a little revealing the prince's powerfully built back. Lutilivien reached for the cover and pulled it up affectionately; _The night is quite cool_, she thought. 

Not wanting for her nightmares to return, she threw a wooly, thick cloak around her bare shoulders and walked into the courtyard. As she now noticed, the night was still young. 

She paused under a mighty oak tree that stood there for as long as she remembered, it had an aura wilderness around it, the aura that she always missed within the stone city of Dol Amroth. Hoping that nobody was there watching her, she swiftly climbed the tree and sat in a comfortable curve between two thick branches. But her mind was restless even there.

 _Oh, what is it with me? Why does my heart weigh me down so today? And why is it about Imrahil; I love him so.  So many other men I could have been betrothed to, but fate had it, it was the Prince of Dol Amroth himself…and I learned in time to love him as if he were predestined to be the one whom I waited for since I have been but a child. I should thank Goddess for such a bless— What is it; that I smell? It is somewhat familiar. That ancient scent of leather, where do I remem—_

   "You are of the Tree-Folk indeed." the man's voice had a note of warmth and irony in it. Lutilivien jumped up startled out of her thoughts.

In an attempt to escape and wrap the cloak tighter around her, she lost her balance and fell backwards with a short scream. She heard a grunt as she hit something with her knee, then a dull thud and she collapsed into somebody full force knocking both of them to the ground. She felt pain rise up in her side, but she managed to open her eyes to examine the situation closely; the pleasant smell of leather became much more intense.

Glancing hastily at the situation, she noticed that she was half-sitting, half-laying on a man whose face she could not perceive well. Her own body was twisted in a less than virtuous position, considering that her cloak lay mangled a few yards away and that the straps of her somewhat translucent thigh-length slip were hanging loosely down her shoulders. 

The man heavily opened his eyes and a faint smirk appeared in the corner of his lips. Lutilivien jumped up in panic, and crawling rather than walking backwards, grabbed hold of her cloak immediately hiding in its protective folds.

    "Some adventure, my lady, you could have hurt yourself. How does it look; to become so frightened of an old friend?" the man's bright eyes sparkled mischievously. Feeling her cheeks burn, Lutilivien silently thanked the night for its shadows, but then gaped speechless as she sent the man a second look.

   "Irean…"

   "Aye." The man responded rubbing a great bump that was starting to form under his fire-colored bangs intertwined with a few silver threads.

   "Wh-what are you doing here? We all thought th—"

He cut her off,

   "I found it about time for a visit." He stood up, stretching. Only now did Lutilivien notice a large sack on the ground. _As long as I remember he always took that bag everywhere; and as long as I remember he always carried that scent of leather with him._ She hesitated only for a split-second,

   "You should have announced your coming, Imrahil would surely have prepared a welcoming feast."

Irean chuckled sadly,

   "Night is a traveler's best friend, besides, I am not convinced that my brother would have been overwhelmed with joy once he heard of my arrival."

   "What are you trying to tell me…" she suspended her voice.

   "I am not trying to tell you anything, Lutilivien. You know very well that my brother and I do not take a great liking of each other."

   "Aye, I do know, but I do NOT comprehend." she shrugged, irritated, "That is not of matter at the moment. Let it be for I do not wish to stand on either side!"

   "You are right." he nodded, grabbed hold of his bag, and threw it over his shoulder, "I shall go to my old chamber, if I may, and refresh a bit."

   "Of course." She looked after him as he departed into the shadows. _Of all the things—_"Irean! Wait! Do not go there now. Come in officially tomorrow at dawn."

He slowly turned around and stared at her for a long time.

   "Very well then, but I need somewhere to stay for the night."

Lutilivien looked around as if in search of an inspiration, then, she pointed at the oak with pure triumph reflected in her face,

   "I shall allow you to stay up in that tree. It is very tall and its leaves will shelter you from any unwanted passerbies."

     "Comfortable room for a weary traveler…" A mutter came out of Irean's lips as he eyed the coarse surface of the trunk and the multiple intertwining branches."

     "Do you not age twice slower than an ordinary man, are you not superior to him mentally and physically, do you not have a better understanding of the world?! Is not a part of you Elven?!" Lutilivien flipped her astonishing hair in irritation. Irean's sincere, deep laughter resembled the sound of bells.

     "My dear lady, how about a bargain?" he turned to her, gray eyes twinkling with amusement. She ogled at him suspiciously. "Well, I shall remain here if you will stay with me a while and talk."

***

     "On the tree?"

     "On the tree." he was still laughing, "After you."  He then bowed in a manner worthy of a prince, but Lutilivien only smirked at him pulling her cloak closer to her body.

     "No, after _you"___

_Now that never even crossed my mind, he smirked at the thought. Within five seconds, he was looking down at her from a high branch, but she took no longer herself. The place he chose was wide and comfortable, but suspended very high within the crown of the gigantic tree. _

     "What a beautiful view of the stars." A large patch of sky was right above their heads. _Oh I forgot I have—At that moment he noticed that Lutilivien barely glanced at it, lost in some troublesome thoughts. He eyed her discretely, but said nothing._

     "Perfect timing you have chosen for arrival." Lutilivien spoke up smiling.

He raised his eyebrows,

     "How so?"

     "Six full days until Imrahil's birthday and our anniversary."

Irean frowned but so that she did not notice.

     "Which ones?"

     "Seventieth and twentieth."

     "I even forgot by how much he was younger than me…" Irean murmured to himself, but Lutilivien picked up on it.

     "How much?"

     "Oh, ten years." Irean's thoughts drifted away for a while. 'I cannot believe it has already been twenty years…How old were you?"

    "One hundred and eighty."

     "Hmm…young, very young."

     "My birthday was just three weeks prior. I had to be mature by law." Irean sighed, but did not interrupt her. "I have never had seen Imrahil before…They told me I was 'chosen'. They told me it was 'great honor'. They put me in a confining dress, weighed my hair with jewels—"

     "Aye…I remember the ceremony." _And you, the most beautiful and sad woman I have ever seen._

     "I was so frightened. A wild child who was about to become a wife. I remember it so well. I was trembling, I could not even speak." She suddenly turned her exotic, beautiful face to him.    

     "But why am I telling you all this?!"

     "You trust me perhaps…"

     "I do very much, Irean." a faint smile played on her lips. "I never said a word before. That night…" she stuttered, hesitated, then continued on, voice shaking slightly, "That night Imrahil took me as his. Gently, caressingly. I did not say anything, but I felt like an object passed on hastily from the hands of my guardians to the hands of a stranger, with whom, all of the sudden I was sharing my bed and my life." His eyes staring at the ground, Irean ran his fingers through his slightly disheveled hair. "Then, slowly, day by day, week by week, month by month – I learned to love him with all my heart." All of the sudden, something intruded her thoughts and she dropped her head slightly, sighing. Nothing ever escaped Irean's hawk-like attention.

     "Yes?" he said.

    "I still cannot forget a friend I had in y young years. We were inseparable, our souls often acted as one. Of course, when I was to be married, any man was regarded upon as a hazard; I was kept from seeing him. For a while, I heard of him, then, the boy with lavender eyes disappeared from my life."

Irean gasped quietly at the last words she uttered. _'The boy with lavender eyes'. That boy?_


	3. Warriors

Hey everybody, thanks for the reviews. REEALLY hope to get more, but oh well it's still good ^_^

Read on and appreciate the intro of 2 new HOTguys ^_~

Might be a little confusing in the next few chapters, and i'm seriously going through a writer's block, but i got SO many new characters waiting to come into play, that it's just gonna be GREAT. Yeah, i know over-excited, but i just LOOVE writing this

kia and salsy sita – love ya guys – forever (don't get freaked out) ^_^ thanks for ur support anime girls!!!

nimanialia – thanks for staying withme and reviewing every chapter  - you rock, girl !!!

To everybody else – thnks for reading and keep on reviewing!!!!

Kara

P.S: a few more chapters and i'm gonna punch in a small spicy scene b/w u-guess-who…hope i can pull that off nicely ^_~

*************** 

Chpt. 3 – warriors

     "Why do you look at me like that?" she cut into his thoughts.

Irean glanced at her, disturbed,

     "I knew him…a while back." She just gaped at him, speechless. "He was very young, barely a man. 'Twas maybe fifteen years ago." All the while, Lutilivien could not utter a word. "Never changed much, believed in the world, in everybody…so naïve."

Irean sighed, his thoughts wandering away. 

Still moved, the young elf sitting by him now studied his profile; the flames of his bangs burning in the shadow, the prominent forehead underneath them, long and narrow mist colored eyes, the curved outline of his nose, full lips, and the strongly outlined jaw. All only slightly resembled her husband's gently featured face. 

Irean jerked up and looked at her sideways.

     "It has been a while now since I had last heard of him. There was word, though, that he departed as an apprentice with some Mirkwood warrior."

     "Mirkwood?!" she could not believe her ears, "Only dwarves and Dunedains could even compare with their fighting skills, so why would—" a memory flashed back at her.

~*~

     "See that army down there? How foolish they are…"

     "What do you mean?"

     "You see Liv…They think their actions lead towards_ something, but all creatures have a conscience, and besides, one cannot kill another without killing oneself at the same time. Is it not wasteful to die in such a way?" _

     "…"

~*~

     "Now I understand what he said that day…" she whispered absent-mindedly.

     "Huh?"

     "Oh! It is simply that—" she stopped and looked towards something invisible to her eyes, and then she shivered greatly and covered her ears as a sound hit them. "No, no stop that!" she whimpered writhing in pain, holding her head, her eyes closed shut.

     "…livien…are…uo…alrigh…at's…ppening?!" she heard Irean's voice as if from a great distance, echoed and unclear.

All she could hear well was that hated, constant, low pitched but perfectly clear note ringing piercing her mid and body. Blindly, she tried to grab hold of Irean, but she missed and slowly slipped into darkness.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………     

Legolas gave a mighty yawn and stretched on the grass.

     "Humph! Long time no sleep." He murmured to himself, and comfortably moved his body into a sitting position against the tree he had just been sleeping under. "Palan!!!"

There was a blanket a few yards away from him, obviously holding somebody underneath it. At the call, the body under the blanket stirred, and almost immediately strongly disheveled blue-ink hair emerged from under the blanket.

     "Whatta ya want?!"

Legolas frowned slightly,

     "Water, Palan, I want wa-ter."

The blanket was thrown forcefully at his face.

    "Oh, that's just _fine for you to say! You don't have to drag those damned buckets to the stream and back!" a young, handsome man of seemingly barely twenty was rubbing his eyes sleepily._

    "Not _'drag' to and forth, __fly to and forth." Legolas got up and threw a shirt over his bare, muscular shoulders. "Besides, are you not my apprentice?"_

     "Exactly." The young man's lavender eyes sparkled deviously. 

With lightning speed he reached for his dagger and threw it straight at Legolas' chest, but the elf caught it gracefully in midair. Both drew their swords and clashed mid distance from where they each of them was standing. 

Palan swung at Legolas' left side, but the latter simply blocked the blow. They sparred a while pressing their sword against the other's blade, then Palan broke contact, jumped back and aimed for the elf's legs. He in turn, pushed against the ground forcefully with his feet and fell at his opponent from midair. Immediately, Palan raised his sword and stopped Legolas' blade over his head, though he was now down on one knee. Concentrating all his strength, he pushed off the elf's weapon and attacked his uncovered arm. Legolas again evaded the blow, and leaped sideways like the wind by his opponent. Before Palan had even the chance to turn, he suddenly felt cool metal pressed against his throat.

     "Not bad…" Legolas released the irritated companion. "Now go get the water." Palan shrugged and suddenly a pair of enormous silver wings burst out of his back. Angered, he picked up the two empty buckets from the leaf-covered ground and rose nimbly into the air murmuring to himself.

     "What a spirit…" Legolas smirked to himself and turned to stringing his precious bow.


End file.
